Three Easy Ways to Green Your Family Today

Teaching our children to care for our environment is a responsibility, and one we work towards on a daily basis.  We try to make eco-friendly choices, but don’t always get it right.  One of my goals for 2014 is take more steps in greening our family and involve our children in those changes.  Thanks to the folks from Direct Energy for sponsoring this discussion.  They are planting a tree for every new Facebook like through the end of 2013.  Click over using this link do something good for our environment in less than 10 seconds.

1) Recycle Everything You Can
For many of you, this is obvious and second nature.  If you aren’t already recycling, start today. No excuses.  Check your city’s government website to find out recycling guidelines for your area.  Involve your kids by teaching them what goes in to the recycle bin and having them help with sorting.  Think beyond the basics.  Rather than throwing away old toys and clothes, donate them to a good cause, give them away through Freecycle or Craigslist, or sell them online.

2) Reduce Your Family’s Waste
We live in a throwaway culture.  If it isn’t useful to us at this moment it goes into the trash.  We create so much trash we are running out of places to put it.  Reduce the amount of trash your family creates by switching to something reusable this week.  We’ve switched to cloth diapers, cloth napkins, and cloth cleaning towels.  Next on this list is cloth baby wipes.  The amount of money we spend on baby wipes is crazy town, and I’m over it.  If you are intimidated about switching to a reusable product, trust me when I say it is easier than you think and you won’t regret it.  Pick one thing and go for it.

3) Get Out of the Car and Walk.
Living in DFW, I’m used to driving everywhere.  Our grocery store is less than a mile away, yet we drive there.  I’ve even driven to the playground near our house so the Bear can get some exercise.  What the what?!  Pick one errand this week and walk or ride your bike instead of driving.  You’ll reduce your carbon footprint and burn calories in the process.  If you don’t live in a walk or bike-able neighborhood, carpool with friends to one thing this week or park in one place when running errands and walk in between shops.

What green changes will make for your family in 2014?

Don’t forget to click over and like New Leaf Energy on Facebook to have a tree planted in your honor.

Our Texas Ranchsgiving & My 2013 Thankful List

We spent Thanksgiving at our sister-in-law’s family’s ranch near Huntsville, Texas.  It was cold but sunny and we had a great time.  The MJD Ranch and the Goertz family is always so welcoming to us and we love being there and with them.  Most of Jed’s family joined us there and we had a huge dinner complete with lots of football watching and outdoor playing.  The Bear had the time of his life.  Barns, cows, horses, and tractors are his favorites.  The Pearl girl decided she did not approve of pack-n-play sleeping and let everyone know it throughout the night.  This left us a little sleep deprived, but we still had fun.  Sweet Bear slept through the uproar, but I when I asked if he’d heard her the next day he said, “Baby Ellie was crying all night.”  Sorry buddy.  It was bizarre, because she was waking up so angry and nothing appeased her.  I tried every trick in the mama book.  It stopped as soon as we got home. Babies be crazy. 

Oh hay little Bear.  
This precious boy is definitely on my Thankful list for 2013.
Here’s the rest.  I’m 34, so I listed 34 things. There are many more, but I like the tradition of doing one for every year of life, taught to me by my sweet friend Betsy.  I had all my YoungLives girls start this tradition at campaigners, and it was amazing to hear their lists.  What are you thankful for this year?
1. Jed 2. Fisher 3. Eleanor 4. My parents 5. my siblings 6. YoungLives 7. being debt free 8. our house 9. staying home with my kids 10. this blog & the opportunities it provides 11. Grace 12. fall leaves 13. My grandmother moving to Dallas 14. blue mason jars 15. cupcakes 16. our new church 17. my salvation 18. Being a team with my husband 19. beach vacation 20. Jackson, my wonder wiener dog 21. fresh gulf shrimp 22. 3 playgrounds near our house 23. our neighborhood pools 24. MOPS 25. BSF 26. my new part time job with YoungLives Camp starting in January  27. new tires on our cars 28. a successful VBAC 29. the health of our family 30. the ability to breastfeed Ellie 31. cloth diapers 32. our budget 33. our emergency fund 34. God’s provision for our family.  

Christmas card pic, obviously.
What’s weird about all the attempts at Christmas card pics is that the Pearl girl looks super mad.  She is the happiest baby in the world 99% of the time.  That 1% was during the night of our Thanksgiving trip and any family photo shoots.  Ergh…

I’ve come to love a Texas sunset.

We tried to get a photo with all of the Eby cousins and their Paw Paw, but made the mistake of facing the sun.  The sun is like kryptonite for my blue eyed people.  This is the only one with most of the eyes open.  The Bear loves his big cousins.  We are so thankful for our family.

DIY Baby’s First Christmas Footprint Ornament {For Under $2}

Teeny tiny baby footprints are one of my favorite ways to preserve a snapshot of a child’s growth.  I made a sweet and simple ornament for our Pearl girl’s first Christmas using one of her newborn footprints.  It was so easy to make and really inexpensive. Make your own Christmas footprint ornament to celebrate your baby’s first Christmas with the instructions below.

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Fun and Funky Gifts for Everyone on Your List: An Uncommon Goods Review

If you are one who likes to give the unexpected, the creative, the responsibly sourced, or the incredibly unique, Uncommon Goods is the place to shop.  When they contacted me about doing a review, I was quickly sucked in to the rabbit hole of shopping on their site.  A few of my favorite items are shown above: a men’s belt made from recycled bike parts, blocks with braille and sign language, sleeping bear and pig slippers, and a gorgeous rough stone ring.  Click here to find the perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list from Uncommon Goods.  Besides featuring a plethora of recycled, upcycled, eco-friendly, and handmade goods, Uncommon Goods uses sustainable environmental and fair wage practices. I’m giving away a $25 gift card from the generous folks at Uncommon Goods as well, so click here to enter.  
I chose to review gifts for the Bear and Jed – Kinetic Sand and a Pick Punch. 
For review purpose I gave the gifts early, and they were both a big hit.
We all agreed the Kinetic Sand is one of our favorite review items EVER.  
If you have a curious kid on your list, this stuff is ridiculously amazing.
We received the small package weighing 2.2 pounds (1 kg) that retails at $15.  It pretty much saved us during the crazy ice storm we had this weekend. We got it out 4 times the first day and 5 times the second day, playing for 20-30 minutes each time.  That is an eternity in toddler years, people.   

I was worried about the mess so I put it on a cookie tray on a sheet.  Turns out I didn’t need to worry.  The stuff is pretty much magic.  It sticks together and if some gets away you can pick it up with a chunk of the sand.  Crazy and awesome.  It feels like a fun science experiment mixed and we all seriously loved it.  I was skeptical at first, but I played almost as much as Bear. 

I’ve missed my calling as a sculptor, obviously.
You can mold it, shape it, cut it, let it drift through your fingers, and then roll it up and do it over again.
The Bear’s favorite game was to build a castle and then promptly bash it.  

I don’t know what kind of wizardry is used to keep it together, but I’m dying to find out.
The girl who spent a summer at science camp and was the historian of her high school science club came out to play for sure.  Nerd alert.  Jed was fascinated as well.  He starting teaching Bear how to use a butter knife to play with the sand.  Then we got out the cookie cutters.  The possibilities are endless.  

If you have a kid or kid-at-heart on your list, this is the perfect gift.  
We could not recommend it any more.  We truly love it. 

My husband, Jed, loves to play the guitar.  I gave him the Pick Punch to review, and he thinks it is really fun.  He used an old Starbucks gift card to test it out, and was able to create three picks from one gift card.  They are the same size as the picks he purchased, and work perfectly.  

If you have a musician in your life, the Pick Punch would make a great gift.  It retails for $25.  Teenagers who’ve taken up the guitar would be prime recipients, as would rock start dads like my husband.  In my experience, men and teenagers are the most difficult to buy for.  My husband is picky, and he loves this little machine.  If you need more gift ideas for men, click here.  

Uncommon Goods is also budget friendly.  Click here to find a great selection of gifts under $50.

Check out Uncommon Goods and come back and tell me your favorite item.  
Be sure to enter my giveaway for a $25 gift card here (ends 12/16).

Entertain the Whole Family with Merry Christmas Loteria {Bingo Style Game} with **Free Printables**

The weather outside is indeed frightful, and cabin fever may be setting in among your family members. Today I’m sharing my own version of Loteria, the Mexican Bingo style game, perfect for entertaining the whole family.  My mom is a Spanish teacher, so she taught me how to play the original Loteria as a kid and I’m starting a new tradition this year with my family.  If you’ve never played Loteria before, the game is incredibly easy to learn and can be played by anyone ages 2 and up, and even younger with help. Toddlers and adults alike can get in to it and it would be a great game night tradition to start during the holidays.   I’ve created a set of twelve cards for you to print free of charge, as well as a call sheet.  This game is perfect for family night, long days during school break, and to teach matching skills with preschoolers.  Everybody loves bingo!
Everyone gets a Loteria sheet and a handful of beans or candy to mark the objects called.  As the caller shouts out the object drawn, the player placed their bean on top of the matching picture on their card.  The goal is to get four in a row in any direction, much like Bingo.  You can also play cover all, four corners, and 4 square to mix it up. Beans are traditionally used, but I like to use little candies like chocolate chips or M-n-Ms, and eat them at the end of the game.  You could have a big game with prizes for the whole family or use it as a teaching tool with your preschooler.
Click this link to head to the files in Google Drive. Each image contains two playing cards.  Print each sheet and cut in half to create two cards.  You can leave the call sheet whole and just call objects out at random (marking them with a bean after they’ve been called), or cut it in to pieces and draw each object out of a bowl.  When a player gets four in a row they yell, “Merry Christmas!” and win that round.  I hope your family enjoys this fun little game and starts a new holiday tradition.
Click here to open and print all of the Loteria pages and call sheet.
How do you keep your family entertained during the holiday season?
If you like this post, please share it with your friends on Pinterest or Facebook.
My free printables are for personal use only.
Please let me know if you have any questions.

Why I’m NOT Dreaming of a White Christmas {And Never Will Again} ~ A NickMom Inspired Story #Motherfunny

I am most definitely NOT dreaming of a white Christmas, and I never will again.  Sure, the idea of a snowy holiday season is romantic, but the reality was just a little too much for us last year and I hope we never have a repeat.  For those of you from the northern latitudes, this tale of woe will seem ridiculous.  My sisters from the warmer regions of the world will most likely empathize with our story of Snowmageddon 2012.  You should know that I am one who takes the holidays a little too seriously and longs for a picture perfect celebration that never quite comes to fruition.  If you fall short of the Martha Stewart mark like me, take a minute and head over NickMom and you’re guaranteed to laugh and realize you’re not alone.

Last year, there was a lot of anticipation as Christmas approached.  I’m the oldest of four kids and all of us were finally going to share a holiday celebration after living spread across the country.  We all arrived in Arkansas at our parents’ house with our kids and dogs and spouses and presents and suitcases and got seriously amped up to celebrate. We glanced at the forecast, which was calling for snow, but dismissed it thinking it probably wouldn’t happen.  When you are from a mostly mild climate, everyone panics whenever snow is predicted and raids the grocery store buying all the things and then we get two minutes of flakes.  It is such a letdown every time.  So, you learn not to get your hopes up.  After all, it was in the 60s outside will full sunshine.  We hoped to wake up to a white Christmas, but just knew it wouldn’t happen.

Santa came and delivered in a major way.  Toys and boxes and wrapping paper littered the living room.  We ate a glorious lunch and then packed up two members of the family to make their flights.  The airport car returned and the storm rolled in, out of nowhere.  All of a sudden, it was raining, then sleeting, then snowing.  The sleet stuck to the tree branches and the snow stuck to it.  Branches started to fall, and the transformer in our neighborhood blew, knocking out the power.  Nobody panic, I’m sure it will be on again soon.  Little did we know, it was going out all over the state.  Craziness was about to let loose.

We gathered candles and made it a fun game at first.  Then it started to get cold.  Really cold, really fast.  We added layers and figured out dinner, thinking surely the power would come on soon.  The snow kept coming.  This type of weather is normal in Minnesota, but not down south.  Most towns in Arkansas don’t have sand trucks and most southern people wouldn’t know what to do with snow chains.  We just stay inside and huddle up.

What you need to know about a power outage, is that the first day is pretty fun.  You feel like you’re on a camping trip and the kids feel like everything’s a big adventure.  I pretended I was a character in a Jane Austen novel carrying my candle around and blowing it out before bed.  The FIVE dogs we had in the house where an asset, really, because they provided warmth.

A white Christmas may make you feel like this.  Be careful what you ask for.

Day 2 of a power outage, the fun quotient goes out the window.  Survival mode sets in and everyone is in a bad mood.  The carnage of our Christmas feast mocked us.  The dishes were unwashed and we were too cold to deal with them.  The toys sat abandoned as our children shivered and asked when the lights would come back on.  It was a Christmas disaster.

Did I mention the trees? Not the beautiful Christmas tree my mother painstakingly decorated.  Oh no, I’m talking about the trees in the backyard.  In the middle of the night, we woke to a huge crack.  It wasn’t a return visit from Santa’s sleigh, but a giant pine tree careening towards the house.  The fall was broken by smaller trees, and we all ran downstairs in a panic because my brother was asleep in the den directly in the tree’s path.  All of the adults stared out the glass door awestruck.  We woke my brother and told him the tree was coming for him.  He sat up, looked out the window, and then said, “Nope, it’s not going to hit me.” Then he went back to sleep.  Seriously, dude?  He is a decorated war veteran who lost a leg in Afghanistan, so his reaction to danger is a little different than your average person.  He’s not one to panic.  He was right, too.  The tree didn’t hit our house, but instead took out the neighbor’s fence.  And several other trees.  Good times.  

Branches in the backyard at the beginning of the storm.

By the afternoon of Day 2 we knew we had to get out of there.  Miraculously, we discovered the power was on at my great aunt’s house.  We loaded all of our stuff up, with 6 adults, 3 kids, and the 5 dogs.  We picked up my grandmother and headed over to camp at Aunt Freda’s.  Let me set the scene.  Freda has lived alone for the last 50 years since her parents died, and was in a rehab facility because of a recent stroke.  She was thrilled to help, but to move 10 people and 5 dogs in to a house where one person has lived alone doesn’t always work well.  We learned a lot about Aunt Freda that week.  For instance, the only things in her cupboard were 24 boxes of waffle cones.  And in the fridge… you guessed it, lots of ice cream and not much else.  Perfect for a snow storm {sarcasm font}.  The alarm system went haywire and Freda couldn’t remember the codes.  Jed had to get creative to get the endless beeping to stop before we all lost it.  The plumbing in the kitchen backed up because it was used more than it could handle.  My brother showed up after a grocery store run with a super intoxicated friend he didn’t want driving.  The Bear stepped in a pile of dog poop from one of the FIVE dogs we had in the house, and he FREAKED out.  It was an adventure.  

The power was out for about 10 days, but we all cleared out as soon as the roads did leaving my parents to deal with the aftermath.  We’re jerks, I know.  Most of the state of Arkansas was without power for a week and the destruction was epic.  Lots of folks were in the same boat as we were, and I’ve heard many hilarious stories from friends whose holidays were affected by Snowmageddon 2012.

Our perfect Christmas went down in flames, or rather in a bank of snow.  We still had a great time together and spent more time talking and laughing than we would with the normal distractions that things like electricity bring.  I hope you enjoyed our snowy story.  If you’re looking for more holiday funnies, check out this post and this one as well on NickMom.com.  You can also follow @NickMom on Twitter and on Facebook for more giggles during this crazy season.

For the Kids’ Table: 10 Last Minute Thanksgiving Creative Activities

Will you have a bunch of wee ones underfoot longing to “help” as you prep for Thanksgiving?  Check out these quick and easy kid friendly Thanksgiving and fall crafts to keep the kids’ table entertained while you prep and catch up with your Turkey day guests.  I’ve selected crafts that can be made with things you most likely already have on hand.  I’ve also added a few of my own free printables from Thanksgivings past and a bonus cookie recipe for the overachievers in the group.  Feel free to pin the round up as a whole from this page, but as always with round up posts head over to the original blogs to pin individual projects.

1. Fall Pumpkin Craft for Toddlers and Preschoolers

2. Thanksgiving Hand Print Craft for the Whole Family from Pounds 4 Pennies (We made this one today!)

3. Thankful Toilet Paper Roll Turkey from Staci at 7 on a Shoestring

4. Pumpkin Pie Play Dough from Giggles Galore

5. Thanksgiving Do-a-Dot Free Printables from Crystal and Co.

6. Easy Fall Leaf Garland from Crystal and Co.
7. Sugar and Spice Handprint Turkey Banner from Giggles Galore
8. Free Printables: I am thankful for you.
9. Thankful Prayer Quote with Free Printables
10. And for the overachievers out there: I’m Thankful For Cookies from The Nerd’s Wife

How do you keep little hands entertained during the holidays?

Eleanor Pearl at Six Months

Our little girl is getting so big.

I’m a bit behind on her monthly updates
but I’m determined not to skip one.
My bright eyed and beautiful baby is such a joy.
She smiles and giggles constantly 
and is so curious about the world around her.

At six months, our girl started solid foods and was not a fan at first.
She refused to be fed unless she could use the spoon herself.
She eventually let me feed her, and likes everything but bananas.
Her first foods were avocado, banana, and sweet potato.

Our girl started scooting herself along this month.
Her crawling style resembles a dancer doing the worm.
She is getting faster by the day and gets wherever she wants to go.
She will scoot along and the roll on her side and look around.

One of Ellie’s favorite things is to be serenaded.
She loves songs, and it calms her down like nothing else.

I cannot believe our girl is already half way to being 1.
Her infancy is going by way too fast.
I want to soak up every minute.

Make a Twenty Minute Tutu for Your Favorite Little Girl {For Less Than $10}

I was a dancer growing up, taking lessons in ballet, tap, and jazz from age 2 til college.  Because of this influence, I have an affinity for tutus in my blood.  I’ve made them before but finally figured out a super fast way to make an adjustable waist tutu for under $10 in about twenty minutes.  Seriously.  This is not a Rachel Ray twenty minutes either, with some assistant cutting strips during the commercial.  You can make one, even if you aren’t crafty.  These tutus can grow with your favorite little girl and make a great Christmas or birthday gift.  You can see we styled it for Christmas with our red and green necklace onesie from Unique Annick.   
Materials Needed:
35-50 yards of tulle (depending on the size of your child)
I use the rolls found in the notions section of the fabric store because they are already cut to the perfect width.  You can find them for $3-4.99 (depending on color) for 25 yards, and use a coupon to get them 40% off.
scissors
1 1/2 yards of grosgrain ribbon in a coordinating color 
(at least one inch thick)
piece of scrap cardboard to use as a guide and mat
Instructions:
1. Measure your child’s waist or estimate it.  Cut the ribbon to have about twenty extra inches for a bow.  
2. Find the middle of your ribbon and measure for the waist from that point, tying a knot at each end of the waist portion.  
3. Cut your cardboard in to a rectangle to create a guide mat.  For children 0-12 months you’ll want an 8 inch skirt, so make your cardboard 9 inches across to accommodate the knots.  Make a toddler skirt 9-10 inches long, and a child’s skirt 12-14 inches long.  Just add an extra inch to the cardboard for whatever size skirt you need.
4. Wrap your tulle around the cardboard guide until it is almost too thick to cut.  Cut across one side creating 17 inch strips (using the 0-12 month size as an example).

5. Tie your ribbon around the cardboard to make your life easier.  
6. Take three pieces of tulle at a time and loop over the ribbon, then bring the ends through the loop as shown below.  Repeat until your skirt reaches its desired fullness.  Be sure to pull the knots tights and then push them together tightly. 
7. Remove your finished skirt from the guide and fluff it up.  You’re done! 
Hopefully you can knock this out while watching a 30 Rock rerun and have a fabulous tutu gift for under $10.  

If you use this tutorial to make a Twenty Minute Tutu, please share your finished product on my Facebook page.  I’d love to see it.  
I’m always trying to find ways to create in the short amount of free time I have.
What’s your best craft shortcut?

Handmade Holiday Gift Guide Review: Personalized Fishing Lures by Stamped with Hope

Handmade gifts for men are notoriously hard to find, but Stamped with Hope has you covered with gifts for the fishermen and golfers in your life, as well as jewelry and other gifts perfect for anyone.  One of the main reasons I wanted to feature Stamped with Hope is that the shop owner, Jennifer, is a woman with a dream.  Proceeds from her sales are going to help establish Hope Ranch, a home for children with special emotional and developmental needs.  Shopping for a cause is my favorite kind of shopping.  Don’t forget to enter to win the HUGE Handmade Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway that ends on November 23rd.  Stamped with Hope is giving away a $20 shop credit that can be spent at any of her three shops.  

Jennifer sent me a beautiful hand stamped fishing lure for my dad, our #1 Poppy.  It is a real and functional lure with a special little heartfelt message attached, perfect for a stocking stuffer.  It comes ready to gift in it’s own bag, and would be the perfect item for any fishermen (or women) in your life.  She will customize the lure of your choice with the message of your choice, so the possibilities are endless.  

For more custom fishing tackle options, check out Custom Fishing Tackle, another shop by Jennifer.  
Shop owner Jennifer and her grandmother Lorene have partnered to create Lorene’s Locket, a specialty shop creating covers for medical alert necklaces.  I cried reading the story behind it because my own grandmother hated wearing her medic alert necklace and thought it was so ugly.  Jennifer and Lorene created a unique solution to a common problem.  If you have a person on your list who has to wear one of those life saving devices, check out Lorene’s Locket.  
Stamped with Hope also offers a variety of personalized golfer gifts, best friend gifts, hand stamped necklaces, teacher gifts, and so much more.  If you love to shop while giving back, Stamped with Hope is perfect for you.  Jennifer is super easy to work with and has a fast turn around.  Head over and pick out stocking stuffers for your loved ones today.  
Ready to shop?
   Use the coupon code HOPERANCH1 for a 10% discount at all three shops.  
Check it out: Shop  Facebook
Gifts for: everyone on your list
Price Range: $13-165